Automobile-fender.



W. A. CRAWFORD-FROST. AUTOMOBILE FENDER.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.6, 1911.

1,054,510, Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

fJIIrIr WILLIAM A. CRAWFORD-FROST, F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

AUTOMOBILE-FENDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

Application filed December 6. 1911. Serial No. 664,246.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM A. CRAW- FQRD-FRQST, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Windsor Hill, Baltimore, in the State ofMaryland, have invented new and useful Improvements inAutomobile-Fenders, of which the following'is a" specification.

The present invention while primarily designed to provide a fender forautomoblles and like machines nevertheless contemplates a fender orbuffer for general use for relieving shock due to the impact of movingbodies when coming in contact with an object. I

The invention provides a fender having for its object to save life andto prevent 1njury to the moving' vehicle or part to which the fender isattached, the fender embodying essentially two parts, the one to preventinjury to the person and the other to absorb shock and prevent damage tothe machine, the fender being likewise of such formation as to throw theperson or object to one side out of the path of the machine.

The invention further contemplates upper and lower fenders, the upperfender projecting some distance in advance of the lower fender so as tothrow the person forward in the event of collision, thereby reducing thechances of a fatality to the smallest amount possible. The lower fenderis designed chiefly to receive the impact in the event of head-oncollision or when the machine. collides with a post, tree,'or other likeobject.

The invention consists of the novel features, details of constructionand combination of parts, which hereinafter will be more particularlyset forth, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, andpointed out in the appended claim.

Referring to the drawing, forming a part of the specification, Figure 1is a side view of the front portion of an automobile provided withsafety appliances embodying the invention." Fig. 2 is a plan View of theupper fender.

, lower fender. JCorresponding and like parts are referred to in thefollowing descrlption, and indi cated in all the views of the drawing,by the same reference characters.

The upper and the lower fenders are of similar formation each comprisingan outer member A and an inner member B, the.

Fig.3 is a plan view of the.

two members having cushioning devices in terposed between them. Theupper member projects a short distance in advance of the lower member soas to throw a person forwardly in the event of a collision. Thecushioning devices of the upper fender are of less tension than thecushioning devices of the lower fender, the purpose being to strike theperson as light a blow as possible. 7

The outer membersAof the upper and lower fenders are curvedtransversely, the curvature being such as may be found to give the bestresults, the purpose being to throw the object struck to one side out ofthe path of the machine to prevent the wheels-passing over the object.The transverse curvature of the outer impact member A also causes themachine to carom in the event of a headon collision. The cushioningdevices interposed between the two members consist of stout helicalsprings 3 and 3 of the expanslble type, two sets of such springs belngprovided and located upon opposite sides of the inner member B. Theinner or rear set of springs 3 sustains the rebound, whereas the outeror forward set of springs 3 receives the impact when collision occurs.The outer .or impact member A is likewise provided with cushioningdevices 5, the same consisting of helical springs of lighter tensionthan the springs 3 and 3* so as to yield more readily and therebyprevent injury to the person when struck. The springs 5 are inclosed,the covering consisting of a lining 6 of. felt or other padding materialand a cover 7 of leather or analogous material generally employed inupholstery work.

The upper fender has the bar 8 of the member B straight and providedwith openings to receive rods 9, which are connected at their forwardends with the curved bar 10 of the member A. Bosses 4 formed orotherwise provided upon the bar 8 in line with the openings thereofproject forwardly and rearwardly from said bar a distance to afford asubstantial bearing for the bars or rods 9. The rods or bars 9 areconnected at their fprward ends to rearwardly extending projections ofthe bar 10 in a manner to admit of the member A yielding laterally whenstruck a glancing or oblique blow.

The rods or bars 9 also have a limited lateral' play in-the bosses 4,prdvision being had for such movement by enlarging the openings throughthe bosses 4 in a horizontal plane. Bars 1 project re'arwardly from thebar 8 and are connected to the machine in any convenient and substantialway. Braces 11 also connect the bar 8 with the machine to stay the upperfender from a point below. A light railing 12 is fitted to vthe upperfender and may serve as a wind break and also as a luggage carrier. bars1 have a parallel arrangement.

The inner or rear member B of the lower fender has its bar '13transversely curved and connected to a convenient part of the The-machine by means of bars or rods 14:, which.

have an approximate radial arrangement. The rods or bars 9 connectingthe outer member with the inner member pass through guides 4 which arepivotally connected to the bar 13 so as to swing in a horizontal plane,thereby providing for a 'yielding movement of the outer member A whensustaining a blow or impact.

It will be understood from the foregoing, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, that the invent-ion provides av buffer which willsave life by throwing a person forwardly instead of backwardly in theevent of collision; and which will throw the person to one side so as tobe out of the way of the wheels; and which will yield when struck anoblique blow, thereby preventing serious injury both to the buffer andcar; and which moreover will prevent damage in a head-on collision bycausing the cars to carom or a single car to swerve laterally whenreceiving an impact, or when striking a post, tree, or like object; and

lastly provides a buffer which shall present a surface of sufficientdepth to insure the striking of the buffers when cars similarly equippedcome together.

From the foregoing description, taken in connectionwith the accompanyingdrawing, the advantages of the construction and of the method ofoperation will be readily'apparent to those skilled in the art to whichthe invention appertains, and while I have described the principle ofoperation of the invention, together with the device which I nowconsider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have itunderstood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that suchchanges may be made when desired as are within the scope of the claimappended hereto.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new, is: i A Abuffer of the character described comprising a member, a plurality ofguides p1votally connected to the member, an mpact bar, rods pivotallyconnected to the lmpact bar and passing through the said guides, andexpansible helical springs mounted upon the rods between the impact barand guides.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.I

WILLIAM A. CRAWFORD-FROST.

